Almost eight years ago, I did a test with some kitchen thermometers and came to the conclusion that the Thermapen was the best kitchen thermometer money could buy. A few years later, Thermoworks improved on their original design with an even faster thermometer that was also splash-proof. We're pleased to announce that this year, we're giving away one of these excellent Thermapens along with their oven probe thermometer to one lucky reader (valued over $100)! Read on to see how to enter the drawing which will take place on December 1, 2012.

It's a bit embarrasing to admit, but over the years, I've actually purchased a whole bunch of these Thermapens. I never wrote up a review of the "new" Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen, but I've found it awesome. In my tests of the original Thermapen, I found that it beat the manufacturer's claim of 4-second readings consistently (it registered the correct temperature in both ice cold and boiling water in about three seconds). The new Thermapens carry a manufacturer's specification of 3-second readings and I can confirm that it is a bit faster than that in my everyday usage.

When I say "everyday usage", I really do mean it. Whenever I cook a roast or grill a steak, the Thermapen comes out to ensure I've hit my target temperatures. When I'm baking bread, I stick the bottom with a Thermapen (200°F is a good rule of thumb although some breads are done at a slightly lower temperature than that). If I'm supposed to stick a toothpick into a cake to determine if it's done, I use a Thermapen instead (why not get the temperature for future reference?) so I know far I am from being done if the crumbs are still damp.

No joke - when I travel and I know I'll probably have to cook, I travel with a Thermapen. Usually, I can find ample cooking supplies (adequate pots, pans, spatulas, spoons, ingredients, etc.), but it's unlikely I'll find a fast and accurate thermometer - so I bring my own.

Here's my embarrassingly large collection of Thermapens. And, no, the winner will not be getting a used one from my set... I'm keeping all of mine. Thermoworks will send the winner their own brand new Thermapen of the color of their choice. (The list of colors is available on Thermowork's website.)

The other thermometer we're giving away (together with the Thermapen), is Thermowork's Original Oven Alarm/Timer which is excellent for tracking the temperature of long cooked meats such as roasts (prime rib is a perfect use) and barbeque. Just set a target temperature, stick the probe into the roast, put the roast in the oven with the cable trailing out to the thermometer base and walk away. The thermometer will beep when you're target temperature has been reached letting you know when to pull the roast out of the oven. (I recommend setting the alarm a few degrees lower than your desired doneness so you can allow for temperature rise in the meat as it rests (and the hotter exterior of the roast equalizes with the cooler interior). (These days, I don't use a probe thermometer like this one when preparing my roasts. Instead, I use a thermocouple probe with a data logger providing real-time temperature tracking with a laptop I keep on the kitchen counter so I can save the data for future use. That's almost definitely over-the-top for most people, so I highly recommend the Thermoworks Original Oven Thermometer for people less "crazy" than me.) Oh, and it doubles as a kitchen timer. I use kitchen timers even more than thermometers (and often several at once), so having another one in the kitchen is a great help.

Hopefully, at this point, I've convinced you that you want to participate in this Thermoworks giveaway. Here's how:
1. You need to be in North America or South America to qualify for this giveaway. (Sorry, Eastern Hemisphere!)
2. Join Cooking For Engineers (through the forums) and post a comment to this article with what your favorite Cooking For Engineers recipe or article is (have fun with it). I need you to join so, if you win, I'll have an email address to contact you with to get your mailing info so Thermoworks can send you the thermometers. I won't have contact information for guest/anonymous posts so I can't include your entry unless you are logged in. (If you are an existing member, be sure to double check your email address on file to make sure it's accurate.)
3. On December 1, 2012, I'll post a comment signifying the end of the contest. All entries (where I have contact info) above my comment will be eligible to win. (I don't know what time I'll be making the post, so it's best just to enter early.)
4. I'll number the participants and generate a random number which will determine the winner and post the winner as well as contact them via email. If there is no response within 72 hours of my email, then I'll probably pick another number and winner (and so on).

I'm running the giveaway until December 1, 2012, so the new thermometers should arrive in time for Christmas (for your perfect holiday prime rib). Good luck everyone!

It has come to my attention that some people have problems with the confirmation code when making a new account. If you can't get it to work three times in a row (make sure you are incrementing each letter: A->B, etc), then email me with the username you'd like at cooking@cookingforengineers.com and I'll set you up with an account. That way you won't have to deal with the confirmation code again.

My favorite page on CfE has to be the Simple Tiramisu recipe. I've made that tiramisu probably a dozen times now, and now when I go to a potluck, people always ask if I'm bringing more of that great tiramisu. The first few times I made it was before I got my electric hand mixer, and let me tell you, whipping cream by hand with a whisk is entirely possible, but it's hard work! I had to make sure I wasn't dripping sweat into the cream. I didn't want people commenting about a hint of saltiness to complement the sweetness.

Oh, and I also really liked your review of the Kapoosh knife block. I see those in so many stores, and they look so cool, so I'm glad I read your review before I bought one.